Oh the times they are a changing. But are they? 20 years ago the business card was a must have marketing and networking tool. Every successful local business had a business sign then. And you know what? They still need them today. So what’s changed?

I can remember waiting at the mailbox for college letters of acceptance. Now we get mad and start to mildly panic if it takes more than 5 minutes to receive an email. We’ve all heard it, “Time is money”. So many business owners may turn to an online print shop rather than working with a local printing company. It’s simply a matter of speed and convenience.

However there are several “bottom line” factors to consider when choosing between a local printing company and an online print shop.

Benefits of using a local printing company

Communication

Have you ever been on hold in a chat box or on messenger? It’s a weird feeling. Time seems to slow to a crawl and finally you do it. You type “Hello” “Did you get my least message” Trying to describe what your company does and stands for via email is tough. With a local printing you’re working with individuals face to face. A much easier environment for creative collaborations to market your business. With a local printing company, you have the opportunity to express yourself to the printer and give a full description of what you require of him/her. You can sit down with the printer to get a sample copy to ensure you both understand each other before telling him/her to continue with the printing of the remaining copies of the material. This promotes better understanding and communication between both the client and the printer.

Customer Support

Let’s face it. Thing happen. Mistakes are made. It’s how we deal with these situations that determines the outcome. These situations usually create cases of urgency. They require that you’re able to speak to someone immediately and feel comfortable with the solutions. A local printing company provides this opportunity. Being able to speak to someone face-to-face and a better chance of getting your problem resolved faster than an online company. Making your complaints to an online agent that may be offline at that particular time can result in frustration especially when you are told to wait for some specific working days before getting a response.

Customer Support and Business Relationships

Getting a local printing company to do your printing regularly could help you build a long lasting relationship based on trust and competence. Repeated patronage with such company makes you one of the most valued customers that enjoy the benefit of getting a discount on their orders. You also enjoy some preferential treatment, which proves they appreciate your patronage.

Result

Every time a file is transferred digitally there will be some degradation of the original file. Every sample image you get online could appear to be the best quality to you until your order is delivered and your left holding the bag. . With your local printing company you’ll be able to see exactly what to expect in the same dpi and quality as you envisioned.

Negotiation

Almost everyone aims to get the best of quality services at a reduced price. This is the primary reason for bargaining/negotiating on the price for a particular service. Using an online printing company puts you in a tight corner because the services already have a fixed price tag, which would not change regardless of the quantity of the material you want to print. With a local company, you have the opportunity to talk to the appropriate person in charge to give you a discount since your orders are much and you are willing to keep patronizing them anytime you require a printing service. In most cases, you get a reduction in price depending on your negotiation power.